Look Alive, Sunshine
by grimmjow'svitaminwater
Summary: Out in the Zones, is it possible to survive when the world is against you? Can you save all of the ones you care about? Can you keep friendships, family, and love? Killjoys...contaminate. Party Poison/OC. Based on The True Lives of Fabulous Killjoys.
1. Zero Percent

A/N: Here we go, Killjoys. Ready for some sweet, sweet fan fiction dedicated to the greatest rockers of all time? Well, you should be. Because it's coming at you full-throttle. Yes, there will be an OC. And yes, she does have a thing for Party Poison. I do not take criticism well, and I may say I do. It's disturbing. Each chapter WILL be a song title or song lyrics. I'm cool like that. Read, Write, Live, and Look Alive, Sunshine.

**Look Alive, Sunshine**

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As luck would have it, Babygirl Biohazard was stranded without any communication signals from other Killjoys, running low on water and ammunition for her ray gun, and it was nearing 115 degrees in Zone 5. The day was NOT going to get better any time soon.

Of course, Korse had sent out minions to cruise through the Zones to try and find any other Killjoys they could. 'Little freaks…' Babygirl thought to herself, resting her back to a large rock formation. For the millionth time, and not the last, she began to search frequencies on her radio, praying silently to find any sort of signal…any sort at all…

And all that she got was static fuzz. Peachy.

Babygirl sighed drastically, throwing her hands up in the air and began her (less-than rare) self-rants.

"Yup. Hell yes. This is GRAND. G-R-A-N-D. Perfect. Bravo, World," She began to clap sarcastically, dragging her pack through the gritty white sand, "How DO you do it? How do you royally screw up my life day in, day out like this? It's charming, really. I enjoy it with a passion. I'm LOVING this heat and this no-communication thing. It's awesome. Oh, yeah, I forgot! NO WATER LEFT! Yay me!" Stalking through the endless desert of California, Babygirl went through the cycle countless times. Curse Korse, find a place to rest, check for signal, cuss, and then rant. Slowly but surely, this continued on until she had reached Zone 3 where she finally made a small camp for herself. She had been able to contact one other Killjoy, but the reception was complete and utter crap. Her name was White-noise War, but that was the most Babygirl had gotten out of the conversation.

A small fire roared and crackled, giving Babygirl something to listen to other than the static conundrum of her radio. The quiet of the desert gave her hope for finding someone (really, anyone) to join. This whole 'Lone Wolf' thing was not working out as well as she had hoped it would.

Babygirl removed a small can of processed food from her pack and cracked the top open with a jagged rock that was now smothered with the juices that the can had contained. The tin can bled out for a moment, giving Babygirl a chance to read the label, "SLICED PEACHES". It was better than nothing…or rabbit.

She ate away at the fruit messily, feeling savagely and superior. Something about the feeling of peach juices all over her dirty cheeks was soothing enough to coax her into sleep. No…not sleep. A nap! Resting my eyes. That's what Babygirl told herself. She wasn't going to keep her guard down…just, give herself a break. A nice, long, quiet break…of sleep…

The blaring of music and the flash of headlights in the distance jolted Babygirl away only minutes later. 'SHIT! Better Living minions?' Babygirl, out of habit, reached for her gun holster and retrieved the orange and green stripped ray gun. She kept it close to her heart and hid herself near a cactus plant. As the car came closer, Babygirl noticed the style and brand of the car…a Trans Am. It was spray-painted and beat up horridly. The sound of guitar riffs and drum solos was like an angel chorus to Babygirl's ears. It had to be Killjoys.

"HEY! HEY! STOP! SLOW DOWN! I'M A KILLJOY! I'M A FRIEND! HEEEYY!" Babygirl jumped out onto the middle of the highway, planting her black boots onto the asphalt, and prepared herself for what was to come…

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"Hey, Party Poison, turn down the radio for a second…" Kobra Kid reached up for the volume knob, silencing the once-vivacious car full of Killjoys. Fun Ghoul slapped the back of his head from the back seat, putting out his lit cigarette on his gloved hand.

"What the fuck, dude? You don't just turn down The Mad Gear and Missile Kid!" Kobra Kid shook his head and reached his hand back to flip off Fun Ghoul, who in turn took his wrist and twisted it. Kobra Kid laughed, turning around in his seat to try and hit Fun Ghoul. Jet Star laughed even harder than the other two Killjoys, throwing a piece of trash at Kobra Kid. Party Poison shook his head, squinting his eyes at the road ahead of them. Through the darkness that was slowly covering all of the Zones and Battery City, and the fading glimmering pink of the sunset in the distance, Party Poison could see a firelight and the silohette of someone, ray gun in hand and waving their arms. It was a signal. Immediately, Party slammed on the breaks, causing swears and audible gasps to erupt in the car. The figure standing in the road moved only slightly to avoid being hit by the car. As it swerved to a stop, Party Poison turned in his seat in the driver position and looked at the other Killjoys.

"Honey, I'm HOME." Fun Ghoul waved a hand dismissively.

"Oh, don't be such a drama queen," Party reached back and hit Fun Ghoul playfully, returning to his position in the driver's seat swiftly. He removed the ancient keys and pushed open the door to his left. Slowly, all the Killjoys immerged from the car, staring at the girl in front of them.

"What are you doing all the way out in Zone 3?" Party Poison stood defiantly in the midst of the fire's light, studying the young girl he saw in front of him.

"Nearing death, dehydration, and boredom. You?" Babygirl flicked a bit of dust from her ratty old jacket onto the right side of her body and placed her hands on her hips. Fun Ghoul grinned, looking at Jet Star.

"I like this one already," Jet Star rolled his eyes and stepped forward, his gun still clutched in his hand, lowered to his side.

"You know we don't have enough room in the ride for an extra, right?" Party Poison glanced over at Jet Star, smirking deviously.

"'Sure she won't mind riding on the top," Babygirl watched the two exchange words and glances before piping in rather excitedly.

"Wait…I can come with you guys to…to…where you're going?" Jet Star looked at her incredulously, as if her words offended him in the slightest.

"What? Do we look like heartless beasts that would leave a comrade out in the desert?" Babygirl smiled, hope finally settling in her stomach like a weight.

"Well, you're not bald and you don't work for Better Living, so I suppose not." This received a chuckle from the whole group, leaving a smile on Party Poison's face. He made a signal with his hand for her to follow them to the car. Reluctantly, Babygirl retrieved her belongings and messily threw them together in her pack, jogging happily behind Party Poison. Kobra Kid was the first in the car, and the first to pop his head out the tinted window.

"Hey…you gotta name?" Babygirl nodded happily, readjusting the shoulder strap of her pack.

"Babygirl Biohazard, me lady. Pleased to make your acquaintance." Doing a slight bow, Kobra and Fun Ghoul clapped loudly as if she was the Queen of England.

Babygirl neared the car, preparing to throw herself on the roof of it. Everyone had entered the Trans Am except for Party Poison, who had his door open ajar. He turned to look at Babygirl with a questioning glint in his eyes.

"Um…we we're joking about the 'riding-on-roof' thing. Just to fuck with you. Get in," although the words themselves were not the most gentle, his tone made it seem friendlier. He opened the door to Kobra Kid's left and Babygirl popped in, soaking in the warmth of the car and the new bodies she would be spending 24 hours a day with.

.

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_Hey, all you car crash hearts and freedom fighters, new update on the frequencies. Looks like a storm is brewing out West of Zone 6, so batten down the hatches and hold onto your hats and masks, ladies and germs. Don't jump the gun unless Jack has a candlestick, it's gonna be a bumpy ride for tonight. Here are the jams that will keep you going through it…Dr. Death Defying, out. _

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**So…did you enjoy it? Well, keep on doing that same thing. More is to come, girls and boys of all shapes and sizes. More is to come. **


	2. House of Wolves

A/N: I'm sorry. I'm terrible at updating…I know. Please don't ghost me, KTHXBYE :D So, here it is, with much anticipated glory, the second chapter to 'Look Alive, Sunshine'.

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_Look Alive, Sunshine_

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_The Trans Am was probably the most comfortably warm and cozy thing that Babygirl had inhabited in a long time. She was seated between a shorter dark-haired Killjoy who was chain-smoking like no tomorrow (which was a thorough possibility at any given point of day), and a thin blonde Killjoy who was more than eager to welcome Babygirl into their dysfunctional family setting. He had his head resting on her shoulder, his eyes drooping into a nap-like state. _

"_Jesus, Kobra, you're like a puppy!" The Killjoy that Babygirl came to know as Jet Star chirped from the passenger seat. Kobra lazily lifted his hand and presented Jet Star with his middle finger, before letting it fall back to his lap. Babygirl snorted, beginning to find the whole situation quite hilarious. The dark-haired Killjoy leaned forward, giving the pair an analyzing glance before resting back in the dirty seat. _

"_Kobra just wants in your pants, you know." Kobra threw his hands up in a militaristic way, expressing his frustration. _

"_Am I not allowed to make friends, Fun Ghoul?" The other Killjoy chuckled and began to light another cigarette. _

"_Nope. You may only be a friendless loser for the rest of your years. Enjoy loneliness, bitch." The blonde gave up hope with the rest of the team, keeping quiet while he rested against Babygirl's shoulder. The car seemed silent after this whole shindig, finally reaching there destination with much anticipation after the sun had completely disappeared behind the California horizon. Party seemed to be the most relieved as they parked in front of an abandoned diner. A small light shone bright in the desert night, illuminating the shadows of the Killjoys as they exited from the beat-up vehicle. A slight breeze whipped Babygirl's hair back, causing her to pull up her bandana over her mouth to keep from inhaling the sandy air. She cautiously and wearily trailed after the group, straggling behind. _

"_Coast is clear, captain!" A small, high-pitched voice called from inside the diner before the figure whom the voice belonged came barreling out the wooden-board (which was a makeshift door). _

"_Perfecto, Gracie! No Dracs came rolling around these parts, then?" Party Poison addressed the small, curly-haired, vivacious girl who stood at his feet. _

"_Nope. No sir. Just boring desert day, like always," Innocence touched her voice, the new-born smile on Babygirl's lips seeming to form because of it. Jet Star reached his hand out, and instinctively, Grace reached up to hit it with a satisfying 'smack' to follow. This was, quite apparent to Babygirl, a pattern that was normal for the whole group. The newest member of the dysfunctional group placed her palm flat against her forearm, reaching across her body in a nervous habit. _

_The child changed her glance to that of Babygirl's, her stare intense and unlike that of someone her age. _

"_Hey, Party…who's that?" The red-head grinned and placed a hand on his hip. _

"_That, right there, is a new friend of ours. We found her while we were out on route Guano, coasting through Zone 3," The girl known as 'Grace' trudged through the sand, walking directly towards Babygirl, who was still rather close to where the Trans Am sat quietly. The sheer will power of Grace alone caused Babygirl to backpedal herself closer to the vehicle. Both paused in there footsteps, cautious of one another. Both caught the other's eyes, and for a split second, they shared something deeper than most people find in an entire lifetime of friendship. Quite suddenly, Grace launched herself at Babygirl's legs and squeezed tightly. _

"_You're gonna be my new best friend! I'm tired of boys! Come on inside, I'll show you where you can sleep at!" The Killjoy felt a tug at her hand, a smaller one finding hers and clutching instinctively, pulling her into a new world of something long forgotten to the post-apocalyptic world…family. _

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"Wakey, wakey, bite from a snakey, get the hell up and let's roll!" The sun wasn't even touching what was left of the earth by the time Kobra Kid had woken the whole group with his shouting. Babygirl's eyelids were still heavy as bricks and she had Grace resting at her side. _Another nightmare…? _Babygirl tried not to get anxious quite yet, reasoning with herself why it was normal for a child to want to crawl into bed with someone they trusted…

"Hey, how about you calm the fuck down and hold on for one goddamn minute, Kobra," Babygirl's messy head popped into the hallway, her voice hissing at the blonde.

"Unless you feel like dying today, I suggest you hurry up," Was the older Killjoy's poisonous response. Babygirl shook her head and retreated to the darkness of the dirty room. Gently, she leaned down and rested her thin hand on Grace's shoulder and jolted her lightly.

"Gracie, up and at 'em girl. We've gotta go and contaminate, babe," The soft moans and groans that rose from the smaller being were the only sign of her awakening. Babygirl shook her head and lifted the girl from the ratty sheets, sitting her upright in the twin-sized mattress.

"I know, you're tired, but Kobra's gonna shoot me if I don't have you ready in the next five minutes," Grace rubbed her tired eyes, nodding in exhausted agreement. She allowed the older girl to place all the necessary clothing on her and adjust her wild curls.

"Are you hungry?" It was a terrible question to provoke, knowing that the limited supply of food they had was not going to satisfy the cravings on a 9-year-old. Grace gave a small nod, a yawn escaping with it.

"Alright, hold on, I'll be back with something for you, okay? Go on and talk to Kobra, make him chill out a little bit. You're his favorite, anyway," Delighted, Grace slid herself off the bed and raced out into the main area of the tiny diner. Babygirl shook her head, chuckling to herself before making her way to the kitchen. She passed the largest room in the entire building on her way, catching a glimpse of Jet Star lacing up his boots with a frustrated look set on his face. She would assume, unless finding out otherwise, that Jet and Kobra had gotten into it before she had even woke.

"Something edible, something digestible, something not-shitty for Gracie to eeaattt," The brunette sang to herself in a low voice, rummaging through cabinets and grimy recesses of the ancient kitchen. "Something that's not dog food, something that will taste good, something that will get us going so Kobra doesn't have an aneurism!" Nearly dancing at this point, the Killjoy bumped into Party Poison, who was entering through the swinging doors. Both lost balance, but remained on their feet.

"Shit, sorry Party!" The leather-clad man looked at the open cabinets, taking in the surroundings.

"No problemo. Were you the one who was singing?" Babygirl nodded sheepishly.

"Uh-huh. Only to keep from losing my mind, really. Trying to find something for Grace, but…" Her voice trailed off, eyes following suit. Party knew how motherly Babygirl could get, even if it was one of her biggest downfalls.

"Don't get your hopes up or anything, but there _might _be some sort of canned fruit way in the back, near the trashed stoves…" Party Poison groped his way through the darkened kitchen, Babygirl trailing behind.

"Almost there…" This was followed up by a multitude of clanking and crashing, a few curse words, and a final sigh of victory, "…one can of Better Living 'Pears'." The brunette's eyes lit up, her hand tentatively reaching out for the can.

"Yes, perfect! Thanks, Party, I would have felt like shit if I would have gone back to her with dog food." Like with any other member of the small, rebellious family, Babygirl reached forward and wrapped her arms around his neck to bring him into a tight embrace. It was as soon as the hug began that it ended, the smaller of the two running off into the depths of the diner to seek out Grace, leaving the red-head with the lingering warmth of her body. Three weeks ago, he had found the new Killjoy alone in Zone 3, fending for herself like a lone ranger. Three weeks later, he was finding sliced fruits for her in their dirty make-shift home. And three weeks after that? Well, that was a story in the making…


	3. I Never Told You What I Do For A Living

A/N: Christmas is around the corner, and all my little Killjoys need a present, especially my lovely lady friend. She will be making a guest appearance in this chapter right he-ya. So…yup. Deal with it. Wanna fight about it? Didn't think so. Let's go, exterminate!

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_Look Alive, Sunshine_

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"Is Jet still throwing a tantrum in there?" Grace watched with a sort of impatience while Kobra Kid stalked back and forth in a pace, making deep tracks in the sand with his thick boots. The young Killjoy sighed, resting her chin in the palm of her dirty hand. An empty can of pears was the only other thing that sat upon the hood of the Trans Am, not including the chipping paint. The blonde was in a sort of rage, but this was standard for an early morning with the group.

"You need to just chill out, Kobra. Seriously. You're gonna make me lose my freakin' mind over here…" Fun Ghoul leaned against the side of the diner, a signature lit cigarette resting in his mouth along with a smirk.

"Paranoia and half an hour of sleep don't go well together, believe me. Now, pick your poison and your battles unless you want me to blast your head off right now," Fun Ghoul rolled his eyes, readjusting his mask to the other side of his head.

"I pick Party." Fun's witty remark almost had Kobra spinning, but Grace's worried glance kept the Killjoy from going off the deep end.

"Okay, let's kick it, sorry I took so long! We need to stop by a Vend-A-Hack if we're going anywhere near Zone 2 today…" Babygirl came tumbling into the view of the three, fully clothed with all of necessary daily gear. She had her greasy, colored-streaked hair messily hanging about her shoulders and her leather jacket hugged her thin frame.

"We have to hold out for a few more minutes, now. We're gonna be getting a visitor soon…" Fun Ghoul sat in the sand, grinning up at the younger Killjoy.

"A…a visitor? What is this, our quaint little summer home?" Grace pushed herself all of the hood and landed carefully.

"That pretty girl who works with Dr. Deathdefying is coming by with the latest news paper from Battery City," Grace was nearly smirking, "and Fun wants to kiss her!" Of course, this provoked Fun Ghoul to get up and chase the little girl around until she couldn't squeal any longer from excitement. He had captured her and lifted her up into the air, spinning her around while bantering 'Oh, really?' or 'Why you little…!' to keep her giggles at an all-time high. Kobra and Babygirl watched with amusement, up until the sound of a roaring motorcycle engine made them silence themselves.

The large bike pulled off of the highway, dragging it's wheels in the sand until it was close to touching Fun Ghoul's boots. Sand was flung into the air, but this did not phase the dark-haired Killjoy.

"Hello, sexy. Just like a wife, bringing me the paper," The owner of the vehicle put it in park, lifting a mile-long leg over the side of the bike. She stood as tall as Fun Ghoul, even when she took her helmet off her head. This revealed her short jet-black hair and her large, bright eyes that even made Babygirl stop and stare for a moment. The full-leather clad woman gave Fun Ghoul a skeptical stare, shoving the paper into his chest with force.

"I don't approve of you undressing me with your eyes."

"I don't approve of you _not _undressing right now,"

"You disgust me."

"Really? Interesting development, we'll have more later on the 11 o'clock news."

"You sound like _such _an insufferable douche bag, did you know that?'

"Ooh, yeah, I have heard that before. Thank you for the compliment, sweetie."

"Fuck you."

"Would you, please?" Fun Ghoul knew he had won the battle, a victorious smile plastered to his face, and a childish one at that. The woman shook her head, somewhat out of disbelief and somewhat out of hilarity. Fun reached up and placed both hands on her cheeks, kissing her with a sort of gentleness that was not seen by most of the Killjoys at any other time. The woman gave into this, returning the affection for as long it lasted.

"Visit often?" Fun Ghoul asked as they parted lips.

"I'll think about it." Was the reply of the raven-haired woman.

"Hi Angelface!" Grace cheered as she raced towards the new-found friend. Angel scooped Grace up into her arms, giving her a bear hug that nearly crushed the small child.

"Ooooh! Gracie, I missed my best friend!" Babygirl chuckled, musing over all the attention Grace was receiving in the period of 2 hours. Her curls bounced as she was swung back and forth in the woman's arms.

"You've gotta meet our new friend! We found her three weeks ago, in Zone 3! I was surprised that you guys hadn't found her before we did!" _You look so familiar…where do I know you from…? _

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"_You could have just gotten a normal, minimum wage job like the rest of us," Marie played the phone between her shoulder and ear, chipping away at her fingernails out of boredom. Alex's voice trembled on the other side of the line. _

"_Yes, well…I decided not to." Marie sighed loudly into the receiver. _

"_You're gonna get like, AIDS or something."_

"_And?"_

"'_And'? Alex, this is serious shit. You can't just sell your body without major consequences, you know that right?" The brunette scratched at her wrists, chewing the skin from her lip. _

"_Mmhmm…"_

"_Is this really what you're going to do with your life? Be a whore?" Alex choked on the air she inhaled. _

"_God, confidence boost!" Marie shrugged. _

"_I'm not going to lie to make you feel better. If you do this, you're gonna be a full-on whore. Like Jasmine Ritters…only, you won't sleep with guys from the football team." Alex hung up the phone as quickly as she could, finding the whole conversation to be unbearable on her shattering self-esteem. Alex was already fine with settling for less than anything she ever wanted. All the torment, day-in and day-out lowered her general standards, which was something she and Marie shared. Sometimes, though, she had to remember they were still two very different people…_

_._

"_Don't fuck up, don't fuck up, just give him what a wants and then leave with the money…" Alex repeated to herself in a low, hoarse whisper as she stood outside a motel room door. The number '8' was going to fall off at any time, hanging on it's side to make it look like the infinity symbol. Her first real day on the job, and she was already getting phone calls. Her mind and her heart were racing faster than they ever had before, and Alex was sure she was going to explode. She was heading for a dead-end like this since the first grade when a girl behind her cut a chunk of hair out of her head and called her an 'ugly-faced Barbie doll no one wants to play with'. She knew this was the job that would have her dead in a gutter in months, but she wasn't too concerned with the rest of her life. She knew it was basically over by the time the night was over…_

"_Hold on," A thick, Jersey voice called through the door. From the sound of it, the man was drunk. All Alex could do was nod and wait, hugging herself to keep from shaking. _

_The door opened with a much-needed velocity, and in it stood a thin older man. His jet-black hair was slicked with grease, ends of it brushing against his shoulders. A glass bottle was held by it's neck in his hand, elbow resting against the door with a sort of superior stature about it. His hazel eyes were fully glazed over, unable to focus on Alex's small form as he attempted to eye her up and down. He made a surprised smile, pushing his body against the door to let her inside. His hand was thrust forward towards the dingy bed that was the centerpiece of the room. Alex walked slowly, but surely, into the room and waited for the man to make his way back towards her. She looked him over for a second more, relieved that he wasn't anything her worst nightmares had conjured up…he actually didn't seem like the kind of guy who would be doing this, but Alex knew better than to judge a cover. _

_Slowly and drunkenly, the man stumbled towards the center of the room, falling gracefully onto the grimy sheets, adjusting himself to be in a somewhat sitting-up position. He pressed the bottle to his lips, Jack Daniels nearly gone by the time he was finished. _

"_What's your name, sweetie?" There was that Jersey accent again, dripping from his words that seemed sincere enough. _

"_Oh. Uh…" Alex searched her brain thoroughly, unable to grasp at coherence, "…it's Alex." The raven-haired man nodded in agreement with this, a small smile on his lips. _

"_Huh. Not what I expected…you look like an Eleanor or a Elizabeth. Something elegant and full of power…" Was his only reply to this. _

_Alex stood at the foot of the bed, her arms still hugging her body. She decided that this casualness couldn't go on for much longer without her completely falling apart, so she removed her long winter coat to reveal some rather revealing clothing. Nearly all of her legs were exposed, along with the generous amount of cleavage she had. The extra short mini skirt barely covered her most well-hidden places and her lacy top rode up to reveal flat stomach skin. She let her hair down, her new rebellious stripes of color tumbling down from the pony tail. She wore too much eyeliner, too much concealer (not only on her face, but on her arms), and looked too tiny to still be alive. _

_Alex cautiously, but still trying to be sexy in her own head, made her way to the bedside where the older man resided. Within a matter of seconds, she had placed herself on top of his body, her hips pressed into his. She sat, taller than him, staring at him with pale gray eyes that seemed to ask why she was doing this. Gingerly, she placed both hands on either side of his shoulders, leaning down into his face. He seemed un-phased by all her actions, leaving her to wonder how drunk he really was. _

"_How far do you want me to go…?" She whispers quietly into his ear. _

"_To be honest…I don't really care." His sharp words made Alex stop and keep her head in the same place by his ear. She didn't move a millimeter. _

"…_wait…what?" _

"_I don't care what you do. Just make me feel like less of a worthless, disgusting fuck who doesn't even deserve to live. That's the objective of this little rendezvous, I suppose…" He whispered. He reached his free hand up to her face, gently cupping her chin and moving her face back towards his own. _

"_Make me think I would ever deserve someone who looks like you." _

_Alex forced her lips upon his in a fierceness that tipped the man back, his head colliding with the pillows. She pressed more and more of herself against him, her mouth moving from his mouth to his neck, to his cheek, to his chest that she had exposed. Hands found places that needed warmth, mouths caught one another in something called 'lust', and tears found dirty faces. _

"_Mmm…" The soft moan escaped his throat, the only noises that caught Alex's attention all night. _

"_I barely even know you…and I could never think any of those things of you. I swear to you…" Alex's coarse voice was infected with her own exhaustion and lack of breath, giving the man reason to look up to her. His hazel eyes were _begging.

"_You would. You would if you knew…" _

"_I truly doubt that." _

"_Doubt is a sin," Drunkenness slipped back into his voice, slurring his words ever-so slightly. _

"_I don't think it is, hon." The man beneath her rolled his eyes back dramatically. _

"_You're too pretty to be giving dicks like me blowjobs or something dumb like that…you're probably too smart for any of that, too." Alex barely cracked a grin. _

"…_why are you doing this, anyway?" This time, the grin was fully on her lips. _

"_To be honest…it's the only thing convincing me to kill myself." The man chuckled, his laughter vibrating through her own body as well. _

"_To be even more honest…I have a gun hidden in that bag over there. I came in here to drink until I couldn't feel and then put a bullet in my brain. Too bad there's only one bullet in there, huh?"_

_._

_._

Babygirl opened her eyes, revealing Grace's worried face to her. She finally realized she was on the ground, staring up.

"Are you okay, Babygirl…?" The small girl let her anxiety slip into her words.

"Yeah…I think so…probably the effects of a snakebite or something…" Babygirl looked up at the girl from her flashback, the one she remembered as 'Marie'. She was sure that Marie wouldn't remember her. She was positive of it. Who would…?

"Honey, don't stand up too fast." Angelface mumbled, reaching out a leather-clad hand to help the older girl up. Babygirl nodded, the only way she could agree without falling down again. Words were useless. She was just too filled with repressed things that were seeming to surface suddenly. Marie was Dr. Deathdefying's paper girl and Killjoy extraordinaire. She was a troubled, tortured high school student who sold her body for the satisfaction of knowing she deserved it, along with death.

And the man who she was with that fateful night? The beautiful long hair, the haunting hazel eyes, and the thin face that seemed to be a scar of his pain itself?

That, my dear readers, was Party Poison.


	4. Party Poison

**A/N: Wow, I'm on the ball! No school today. That was some intenseness right there. But seriously, we need to get down to bidness and get you some story goin'! Cliffhangers are a bitch, am I right? Haha, I did that so yal would keep reading…my Jedi mind tricks have worked once again! But, yeah. So…are you prepared? If not, too bad. You should have done that like, an hour ago. *shakes head* **

**Note: My hair is now brunette with blue in it. I am officially Babygirl Biohazard. (Haha. Not really. I do have the blue and everything, but sadly, my douche bag OC has orange and green in hers too. So…yeah.) **

**Disclaimer: Do you honestly think a creeper like me owns anything relatively close to the pure, unadulterated awesome of My Chemical Romance? Nope. Other than their albums. Oh, and I do dig Steve Righ?'s stache. **

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_Look Alive, Sunshine_

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"_How old are you?" The pair were now sitting across from each other, Alex sitting on the foot of the bed while the still unknown man sat in a chair that was placed right next to the 10 inch television. He lit a cigarette with a bit of desperation. The second the flame ignited, a look of relief and contentment overcame him. _

"_18. Almost 19." He stopped immediately and looked Alex dead in the eyes. _

"_18...? Are you serious?" Alex nodded bashfully, pulling her coat further around her body. The raven-haired man shook his head and pulled the cancer stick from his mouth. _

"_Good God…you look like you could be in college!" Alex chuckled, running her fingers through greasy strands of hair. _

"_I wish…" Alex began, pausing for a moment to, once again, catch the man's glance, "…I never did catch your name." He smirked in response, shaking his head slowly. _

"_I know you didn't. I didn't let you catch it. Tell you what," Leaning forward, the man pressed the useless nub of what was left of his cigarette into the ash tray on the small table, "You can call me Gee. That's a privilege, young lady," Gee said in a mock-serious tone, pointing his finger to Alex. She placed a frail hand on her chest where her heart would be, opposing hand raised in the air with her palm flat. _

"_Scouts honor, sir." The two shared a moment of quiet laughter, still sorting through the awkwardness that was present in their current situation. Alex fiddled with the hem of her skirt, shaking her head to herself. _

"_So…are you still gonna do it? You know…shoot yourself in the head?" The words came out almost childishly, innocence touching every word. Gee looked up, unable to make contact with Alex's hidden eyes. He sat in the ever-present silence for a moment, contemplating the question thoroughly. _

"_You know…I don't think I will." Tiredly, Alex lifted her head. _

"_Really?" Gee shrugged, groping around his pockets for his cigarette pack. _

"_Yeah. I dunno, the fact that I'm sobering up and that I found you are the main reasons right now. I've been thinking it through, too, and…" He readjusted himself in the chair, "I don't know if I could leave my brother with the weight of my death like this, you know? It would destroy him, I just know it." Alex nodded, trying to give him a comforting smile. She felt a warmth in her chest and a sense of peace knowing that she was apart of the reason he wasn't going to blow his brains out. _

"_I'm glad to hear that." The conversation, of course, suddenly made a turn for the worst subject; herself. _

"_What about you?" The words were had somehow found more power within them than intended. _

"_Me? God…I don't know." Alex toyed with her clothes even more than before, finding the fabric somehow mesmerizing. _

"_Come on, now. You can't say that my inspiring, touching words haven't coaxed you into the same state of mind…?" The young girl shrugged and stood up, her whole body (for once) was stable. _

"_I really can't say…it's not just something I can just decided against all of a sudden. Either way, I can say that you were a big deciding factor in the decision to not do it." She smiled one last time in that motel room, a slow reassuring one that let both of them know that the other was safe for tonight. Alex made her way to the door, each step reverberating off the thin walls. With each sound, Alex became farther and farther away from the man left, sitting in his chair. With each step, she changed how the future would play out. With one last step, she glanced over her shoulder, that same lip-gloss smile on her mouth. _

"_Thank you." This was the last time that Alex would ever see Gee before the devastation of apocalypse. As fate would have it, this was not the same for Gee. _

_._

_._

"We need to talk." Was how the whole thing began to unravel for Party Poison. Here, he thought he could just throw on his jacket and boots, grab his ray gun, holster up, and blast out of the diner to face their daily clap with a group of Dracs. Of course, life out in the desert never did end up doing just as Party could ever plan in a million years…

The red-head gave a slow turn of his body towards the now frantic Killjoy. He could see the disheveled look about her; the way her fingers left permanent waves in her hair, the uncharacteristically large pupils that hid her gray irises, the way her jaw was set…

"About…?" Babygirl's eyes narrowed.

"You know." Suddenly, Party didn't feel so strangely comfortable anymore. The intensity of her gaze seemed to find his heart, making it pound quite a bit more than the average daily quota.

"Actually, I don't know. I haven't quite acquired my telepathic powers, so the ability to penetrate your thoughts is unattainable at the moment." Babygirl wasn't going to have it with his witty banter, so in her desperate and fragile state of mind, she casually whipped her ray gun from it's holster on her thigh, pointing it's barrel straight at Party Poison. Hazel eyes grew large at the sight, hands flying up to somehow defend from being attacked.

"Woah, hey, what the hell? Put that away, damn it!" The brunette shook her head, keeping a steady aim.

"Not until you explain to me why you never told me." The words were hard and cold like ice, leaving Party feeling the frostbite. His stare softened, his foot cautiously stepping forward towards her.

"What are you _talking _about, Babygirl? You know that-"

"'I know that' what? That you don't keep secrets? That you would tell me whatever needed to be told to me? No, actually, I don't. You know full well that I hate not remembering jack shit about my life before this mess. Why would you keep something so…so important like this from me?" The words began to shake and shattered with her voice, the gun trembling in her hands. Party bit down on his lip to keep from losing his mind completely. _What has she figured out, damn it! _

"…did you think I wouldn't recognize you? Is that what you thought? Because you changed the color of your hair…? I don't get it, Party! Why wouldn't you tell me that you had _'hired' _me?"

"Because, Babygirl, I knew this would happen…" Was all that the man could muster without shouting at the top of his lungs.

"Something, anything…Alex. My name was Alex…you could have at least given me that! You could have given me that little, tiny piece of myself so I wouldn't have to feel so incomplete!" Party Poison placed another foot forward, nearly touching his chest to the barrel of her ray gun.

"Everything I do, I do for your safety and everyone elses, alright? I don't do it to piss you off or to make you feel like less than a human being. I don't know if you've noticed or not, but there isn't a selected period of time each day to socialize and chit-chat about how much better life was before this. So, God forbid that I forget to mention that I knew you before all of this!" The more that Party's voice raised, the more the orange ray gun began to fall back down to Babygirl's side. He was now at a level of yelling, the tension in his body visible from a mile away. The younger Killjoy looked down at her feet, shamefully placing the gun into it's empty holster.

"It would have just been a fabulous bit of information to know…that's all…sorry to bother you," The last few words were spat as the brunette looked up and held Party's gaze, the same intense gaze that he had seen before in her more innocent eyes. Her exit was simple and quick, only seconds passing until she was out of his view. Once he was sure of his own isolation, the red-head slammed his gloved fist on the wall, frustration fuming out of every pore. How he could have thought her blissful ignorance of her own past could have lasted this long was what bothered him the most. He should have known one day, she was going to figure it all out, on her own or not. He hated the way she tried not to show how wounded she was by his words, when it was clear as day to everyone around her. She was a victim of her own endeavor to be strong, a quality he couldn't have bared to possess. His eyes seemed to find the door once more, missing the feeling of having another person in the room. Soon, the Killjoy had gathered himself back together, moving quickly to the sandy desert landscape outside of the diner and into the Trans Am with precision. At least this would keep Kobra quiet for a while…

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"_Unpeel the eyes on the back of your head today, folks. Dracs are scattered through Zones 1-4 today, sharks in the water and blood is thick. Run down the rabbit hole, but don't get lost out there. I'll be your detonator, a ticking time bomb in the background, ready to give those exterminators hell. But, for now, here's a tune that ought to keep your blood circulating and, hopefully, boiling in the desert heat. Take them out, Killjoys…" _With a sudden click, Dr. Death's voice ended and the roaring sounds of The Mad Gear and Missile Kid were washing over the silent tension between the two protagonists of this story, as Party took the gang down Route Guano, heading straight for Zone 2. Of course, before even getting close to Zone 3, they made a quick stop at an abandoned Vend-A-Hack to replenish in ammunition that was going to be a necessity for the day ahead. Jet Star, Babygirl Biohazard, and Fun Ghoul sat in the back seat of the Trans Am, the normal arrangement. Grace was placed strategically in between Jet and Babygirl, the one area available for her to sit without catching the full intensity of Fun Ghoul's secondhand smoke. Grace's head bobbed up and down from each bump in the road and her own need to go along with the blasting beat. It was contagious, and soon enough, the entire back row was completely tuned into the music. Kobra Kid, from the passenger seat, mumbled the words to himself while Party Poison beat the steering wheel with his hands in unison with the drum.

At least a mile ahead was Angelface, leading the group back to where Dr. Death had been stationed for the last two days. The engine of her bike could not be heard in the noise that filled the car behind her, a distraction that seemed to harm nothing…well, that was until more than one motorcycle came into view for the Killjoys.

"Shit! There's two behind us! Hit the gas, Party!" Fun Ghoul reached instinctively for his gun, along with Kobra and Babygirl, all three sticking their bodies out the window, ready to fire. Kobra took one day immediately, with Fun and Babygirl to fight it out to kill the second Drac. The discarded motorcycles were soon pushed to the sides of the highway by more oncoming exterminators. Jet Star turned his head, regretting what he saw once he had done so. Quickly, he ducked down just in time as a ray had come tearing through the back windshield. The Killjoy shielded Grace, her small squeal of fear drowning out the noise of the fight. Babygirl grit her teeth, firing with a deadly quickness but a lack of accuracy. The Dracs swerved their bikes out of harms way with each fired ray from the Killjoys. Fun Ghoul's face became that of sheer determination, a string of curses going along with every pull of the trigger.

"Fuckers. Die. Shit. Fuck. Die. Die. Die. Damn it!" White heat nearly had Fun's ray gun hitting the asphalt if it wasn't for his rapid reflexes, as a ray stung his hand. It was a mutual but silent agreement as Jet Star and Fun Ghoul switched places; the raven-haired Killjoy bringing Grace into his chest with his back turned to the broken windshield and the older Killjoy with his gun dead set on his targets. Babygirl watched in horror as more and more white-clad Dracs on motorcycles began appearing over the asphalt horizon. With a realization that made her cringe, Babygirl knew that with all the reinforcements that the whole group would be out of beams in a matter of minutes. She locked eyes with Jet Star for a moment, sharing this vital information without a word.

"I don't know if we're gonna make it through this one, boys," Kobra shouted over the sound of the air whipping past his head as the car went on.

"Not if I have anything to say about it…hold onto your hats!" Party took the wheel firmly and sharply began to turn it to the left. This nearly knocked both Jet Star and Babygirl out the windows, each of them scrambling to get back into the Trans Am.

"What the hell are you doing? You almost had us dusted!" Babygirl snapped, clutching the arm of the door to keep from tumbling into anyone else.

"We're half way there already, so why not get creative? You'll love this, anyway…" The red-head announced, almost proudly, as he put the car into a position that had it facing the oncoming enemies. The gentleness of his facial expression had the brunette terrified that he had gone completely insane. His eyes were set on the road ahead, and the exterminators that seemed to get closer by the second.

"Party…you're not…" Fun Ghoul looked up to the rearview mirror, meeting hazel eyes in the process. The Killjoy grinned with a bit of mischief and nodded.

"Yeah. I think I am. And you're coming along for the ride." Abruptly, Party Poison put the car into drive and pressed his boot heavily onto the gas pedal, the wheels making a high-pitched moaning noise as they rotated at a higher velocity than necessary. The whole car jerked forward, the speedometer needle traveling to a hefty number of 100 miles per hour. Grace seemed to be the least worried, somehow, her unbelievable confidence in all decisions Party made shining through. Fun Ghoul and Babygirl Biohazard took hold of her, trying there best to keep her safe from any rays that came colliding into the windshield (that was already shot to hell). The speed of the car became more rapid, nearing 120 miles per hour by the time they were within a few feet of the Dracs.

"'Keep Running' fuckers!" These were the last words Party Poison called out before the Trans Am made impact.

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Bodies, all covered by masks, were strewn across the sand. Darkness began to tiptoe onto the land, leaving the discarded beings to become mere shadows in the night. A battered car took it's place upside-down in the ditch where more bodies could be found.

Gray eyes opened.

They found something that they could have gone without seeing…

…bloody comrades and abandoned motorcycles.

"_Well, _it's this just _fabulous…_" And with that, blackness swallowed her whole.

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**So…please don't mind the crappiness of this chapter. Don't worry, my children, I will be working hard and hardly working on the next chapter soon. So, for now, hit the red line and up thrust the volume. Have a fabulous day. **


	5. Headfirst For Halos

_**A/N: I am an official Switchfoot addict. After finally getting through and in touch with the lyrics, I can completely be in love with that band And, as you all know, I have this thing about songs and using them while I write. So, a strong suggestion to those hard-core fanatics to read this while listening to 'Enough To Let Me Go' by Switchfoot**_

_**Disclaimer: Nope. Don't own anything. I think if I did, you would probably know about it, sigh loudly, then leave your computer to do better things than be envious of me and my My Chem chillin' abilities. Yeah. **_

_._

_._

_Look Alive, Sunshine_

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"You IDIOT! You fucking IDIOT!" A small fire lit the unfolding scene, rather dramatic in it's entirety. The Killjoys were back stage left, huddled closely to the warmth of the flames, addressing wounds and new battle scars. These, unlike they would be on a stage, were not created with intricate make-up. More center stage left, Fun Ghoul had the small Grace sitting in the sand with a grand and bright red gash adorning her forehead, a ripped piece of his shirt soaking up the excess blood that seeped from it. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes, welling up but refusing to make the final slide down her dirty cheeks.

We pan to back stage right, a single spotlight lighting the scene. A tragically distressed brunette girl seems to be in a quarrel with an older man. Both seem to be impulsive and full of regret from the intensity of their facial expressions. The brunette is pushing the older red-head farther and farther back from the group stage left. It's obvious she isn't quite as strong as the male, but enough so that he would have a hard time stopping her from being this forceful. The tears that dress the girl's gray eyes are unlike those of Grace, these tears freely collecting dirt and sand from her pale cheeks. The man sees this. He stops. She stops as well. This wasn't in the script, no one is directing this scene. The spotlight dims and the scene begins to play out in reality…

"You could have KILLED her! _Killed_, Party! Not just have given her a mighty grand scar on her cranium like you already have, but no, _killed _Grace. How would that have been for you, huh? Would you have enough guilt on your conscience then? I know I sure would." Babygirl let her icy words hang in the air for a moment, sink in like cyanide in a dead man's coffee.

"Give it a rest, Babygirl, we're all alive and we're fine. He was just doing-" Kobra tried to reason, but the brunette interrupted.

"Shut up, Kobra! You give him too much goddamn credit, all the time! I'm sick of it. He's not perfect, quite obviously," Her final words were directed towards Party Poison as she glared coldly over her shoulder.

"Why are you so mad…?" Grace's small voice made the whole group stop, her innocence giving everyone's heart a sudden tug. Babygirl turned her head, locking eyes with the wounded girl before her. She bit down on her lip, only wishing that the situation could have been even a fraction easier to explain. The Killjoy sighed and reached for her jacket that lay discarded and blood-soaked in the sand, wrapping it around her shoulders.

"Because, Gracie, Party made a dick-uh, stupid move and almost got all of us, including you, killed. Ghosted. Dusted. Gone. Dead. I would have rather gone out with a bang than have had to wake up to the sight of you, bleeding profusely from the head, honey. That's why I'm not gracing him with a crown and dancing around him with a basket of flowers." And with that, Babygirl Biohazard exited stage right, deep into the darkness backstage where monsters hid in shadows that only existed in her head…

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It took her at least an hour, but by God, she had done it: Single-handedly, Babygirl Biohazard had pushed the Trans Am, that was in total disarray, onto it's four blown-out wheels and crashed upon it's hood with shallow breaths. It was a good way to get some of her pushing rage out, she reminded herself as she began to regret the decision when her sore arm began to ache.

She was disgusted with herself. Honestly, it was pretty much impossible to be hygienic in post-apocalyptic desert scenarios, but she was sincerely sick of herself. Her hair was greasy, her once toned stomach now looking like that of an implosion sight (from lack of edible food), dried-up blood speckling her face, scarred up legs that would _not _be presentable in shorts of any kind, and eyebrows that resembled furry caterpillars. In thought of this, Babygirl moved her bangs over her forehead to hide the Chewbacca's that resided above her eyes. Gently, but repeatedly, she began to bang the back of her head against the hood of the wrecked vehicle. Something had to go right soon…something had to go their way once every great while, right…?

"You had us reeling back there…Fun assumed you just started walking back towards the diner…" The brunette stopped her incessant banging and looked up to see Jet Star standing in the moonlit darkness. She smiled and laid her head back down without a bang this time around, sighing.

"I wish. Might have gotten more accomplished that way…" The older Killjoy placed himself next to Babygirl on the hood, adjusting himself so he could lay down as well. Suddenly, the world didn't seem so empty for Babygirl and she relished in the company of her friend, even in their thoughtful silence.

"…he's upset."

"What? At me?"

"No. With himself."

"Well. Damn straight. He should be. That was my plan." As hard as it was, the younger Killjoy tried her best to sound mean and harsh, but honestly, she sounded as if she regretted the whole thing. Jet Star let out a breath and turned to look at Babygirl.

"You know he wasn't trying to be a hero. He knew we were done for. He knew that if we were getting out of their alive, we were going to do it and come out with scars. He only did what was best-" Babygirl quickly reached her hands up and covered her ears, pressing her eyes shut.

"No, no, no, no, no! I don't wanna hear this! I don't wanna hear about how all he ever does is 'for the best'! That's all I ever fucking hear."

"You can't just ignore the truth-"

"I can try, damn it!"

"Well, _stop…_" The stony tone that overcame Jet's voice caused Babygirl to stop. Her eyes opened up wide, and she propped herself on her elbows to be at a higher elevation that Jet Star.

"Why? Why should I stop, exactly?" Jet Star rolled his eyes and moved himself into a sitting position, fingers absentmindedly chipping away at the paint on the hood.

"Because. You…you know why-"

"But I want you to say it." Jet Star sighed inwardly and shook his head.

"Because he loves you…he loves all of us. He loves Grace. He cares too little about himself and too much about us. That's the reason he did what he did. He knew you would be pissed off beyond given reason, and he knew that some of us were probably going to get severely hurt. But…but he knew we would probably live. And that's what he cares about. Your well-being. He cares about it more than you could know…" Babygirl lowered her head, searching for a way to respond to this. What was there to say? 'Oh, gee, alrighty, sorry I was a total ass to him'. As it was well-known, this was not anything that she would bring herself to say. Jet Star was informed of this.

"Just try and be nice, okay? It's the least you can do." In a moment of brother-sister bonding, the older Killjoy reached out his hand and placed it upon Babygirl's thin shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze before he began to head back towards a group of sleeping comrades.

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"So…you know…I'm sorry. About earlier…" The words came out in a low mumble over the crackling of the small fire, without much honest meaning or actual regret. Party Poison looked up from his seated position on the ground, a snort of a laugh escaping his lips.

"Mmhmm. Sure. And once you actually mean it, I might believe you." Babygirl made a small whining noise in the back of her throat, throwing herself on the ground with a sort of disbelief on her features.

"Okay. I give up. I don't know what you want from me. What is it that you want? Some heartfelt speech of the wrongs that I have caused you? I'm not begging for forgiveness from you. Honestly, I don't regret what I did earlier. I feel bad, sure, but I wouldn't go back and not do it…" She let sand slip through her fingers to keep her distracted from meeting the other Killjoy's eyes, "…I talked to Jet…and I get that you did what you did for all of us. But it was still stupid." Party rested his arms on his knees, pressing his chin into the crook of his elbow to watch the fire.

"…I didn't want it to be my fault we all got ghosted just because I didn't try to save our asses."

"It wouldn't have been…you know that, right?" Party shrugged.

"I don't know about much anymore." A steady silence began once again, the only thing to break it was the occasional snores from Fun Ghoul who slept peacefully with his back to the fire.

The flames flickered all night long, even as the earliest signs of light began to peek in the distance. Both Babygirl and Party stayed watch through the night, quietly forgiving each other for mistakes that the other had made. There was something about what they had both figured out in a period of three weeks about each other that made them have a strong bond. Sometimes, it was hard to tell quite what that bond signified to either of them, but a strong relationship nonetheless. The recent discovery of her own past had Babygirl slightly on edge when it did come to him, but there was never a time when she couldn't truly count on him and trust him with her life. There was something soothing about knowing she could be safe even when she had no defenses left to show…

"It's only a few more hours before Angelface should be getting here with Dr. D. You should get some sleep." Babygirl shook her head at this.

"No, it's cool. I don't usually get much sleep anyway, so what's a couple hours gonna do?" Party Poison rolled his eyes, reaching over and took hold of one of Babygirl's thin arms, gently pulling her to him.

"Just do it." He reached up with that same hand, pressing her head to his shoulder tentatively. Through this whole rearrangement, Babygirl did not fight it for a few reasons. One of the reasons was because she was so completely exhausted and fatigued that it was beginning to hurt. Another reason was because the second they made contact, her whole body went electric. Just a single touch had her nerve endings on fire, so it didn't surprise her that she had given into her heart that was splintering her rib cage. Lastly, they could be dead in an hour, so why not cherish the moment while it lasted, right? It was as remotely close to romantic as you could get when you were stranded in the middle of East Jesus Nowhere…

"I don't know about you…but I think if I saw a koala bear, I'd eat it in a heartbeat…" These were the last words Babygirl Biohazard mumbled before she shut her eyes and gave herself up to her own subconscious mind…

She, as well as all of the other Killjoys, had a long and merciless day ahead of them.

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**You know how I said this chapter would be better? Yeah, I kinda lied. But, oh wellz. I think I did pretty well until the end. I'm just lucky I know how this whole shebang is gonna end. I really, REALLY, hope you liked it and I really hope you'll keep on reading. It means the world to me to know that people like what I write. Keep on contaminating, and stay shiny. From your favorite Killjoy,**

**-Babygirl Biohazard**


	6. Early Sunsets Over Monroeville

**A/N: *Sigh* Oh, yes, here we go AGAIN. Me, writing and you, reading. How cliché. **

**But really. Why are you reading this? **

**Oh, right. Because it ROCKS. **

**Haha, and without more blabbering from this chick, I present to you…CHAPTER 6. **

**(NOTE: I totally love the Beatles. If, during the third scene, you'd like to once again experience the magic of my writing, I would suggest listening to "Something" by The Beatles. You'll get the romancy-ness of it all. ) **

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_Look Alive, Sunshine_

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"Who said it wasn't convenient to keep 5 different wrenches in the trunk? And who is using them now to fix the engine and hopefully get this piece of junk running? I do believe this is a great moment in history for the practical!" Fun Ghoul went on and on incessantly, occasionally reaching down to actually make some renovations on the Trans Am (but mostly went on and on).

"Hey, Fun, how about you actually do something? I'm loving this blistering heat and all, but if we could get going in the next hour, that'd be fabulous." Babygirl placed a hand on her hip, glaring intensely across the road at the dark-haired Killjoy. He lifted his wrench and pointed it at her.

"Don't get snippy, unless you feel like walking," The brunette rolled her eyes, using her bandana to wipe away beads of sweat that began to form on her face. It had to be at least 107 degrees by midday, and it wasn't getting cooler at any rate. Kobra and Grace were having a cute little rock throwing contest (mind you, Kobra was NOT going easy on her and she was still winning), Jet Star and Party Poison were checking the Zone maps again, correctly assuming that they were all just on the outskirts of Zone 2, and she was doing absolutely nothing useful but sweating to death. Somehow, it all seemed to work out smoothly, in its own little dysfunctional way.

Then, like a chorus of angels singing from the Heavens high above, the engine of a motorcycle began deafening the Killjoys ears.

"My love, you've come back for me!" Fun Ghoul let his tools all fall to the sand without a sound as he raced to the side of the motorcycle that was now parked in the ditch off of the highway.

"I swear to God, I will kick you in the teeth," Was all that Angelface spat out as she placed the kickstand into the ground. She took her jet black helmet off her head, becoming a sight for sore eyes to the Killjoy group.

"ANGEL!" Grace was eager to leave Kobra in the dust as she ran at full speed towards the new arrival. Of course, the reunion was of grandness and pure bliss because, quite frankly, seeing someone who wasn't pissing you off completely was a relief in the middle of the God forsaken desert.

"Hey, Gracie! How's it been?" The small girl gave a skeptical look that made her look 20 years older that what she really was.

"I think you know," Angelface giggled and squeezed Grace in a hug, releasing the girl only to be confronted by Fun Ghoul. He leaned, almost in a seductive way, across the hood of the Trans Am, pushing his mask further up on his skull.

"Hey, Toots. What took ya so long? Have your legs been getting tired…from running through my dreams?" The dark haired woman pinched the bridge of her nose from irritation, letting out a long sigh.

"Why do I associate with you?"

"Because you want me. BAD."

"As IF! I could find road kill on Route Guano more attractive and intelligent than you."

"Oh, honey, denial will lead to acceptance one day."

"It's harder to tell what I would rather do with myself right now: listen to you and your banter, or put a beam of radiation through my skull."

"There's a beam of radiation in my-" Before Fun Ghoul could finish his obviously sexually charged statement, Angel placed a delicate finger on his lips to keep him quiet.

"Shh. Be quiet. Or I will act upon my previous statement." The Killjoy tried to put a pout upon his face, but was rejected when Angelface turned on her heel to face the majority of the group.

"So. Let's get you guys on the road! It's gonna take us half a day to get all of D's stuff back to the diner, but time is money, and money is a tool used by the government to control the feeble minded!" The cheery tone that gushed from Angelface's mouth was somewhat reassuring for Babygirl, knowing that she could be happy in the face of daily death.

Oh…on that Dr. D note beforehand. Since Dr. Death defying and his crew had been set up just outside of Zone 1, Better Living had figured out how to manipulate the air waves and nearly cracked down on his small, abandoned station. Although the diner wasn't very big, the group had decided that it was one of the last places that Dr. D could keep shop. Out of generosity and lack of reasons to say no, the Killjoys made room in their place for the crew.

"Soon enough, you're gonna have to deal with me every single day. How is that going to make you feel?" Fun Ghoul muttered to himself more than to Angelface, snubbing the cigarette he had blown through in a single minute out on his boot.

"Peachy," Angelface kissed his cheek, a silent apology. Fun Ghoul rolled his eyes, pushing her shoulder playfully. It was sort of impossible to be upset with anyone for too long out in the desert, because whoever it was was probably one of the only people you had.

"Okay, yes, love fest galore. Don't get me wrong, you two are compellingly adorable, but Fun Ghoul needs to be groping the Trans Am instead of our dear friend," Babygirl folded her arms over her chest, leather jacket wrapped around her gaunt waist.

"Yeah, yeah, don't get your panties in a knot. Wouldn't want Party to have to spend all his time getting them out of it, would we?" Babygirl picked up a discarded wrench and chucked it at the Killjoy, who barely was able to dodge the attack. He promptly flipped her off, muttering swears and hastily yanking the hood open as he did so. Angelface laughed, draping her arm around Babygirl's shoulders in a sideways embrace.

"He's just a little firecracker, isn't he?" Angelface asked sarcastically, watching with a sort of pride adorning her features. Babygirl shrugged, her eyes slowly drifting in Party's direction.

"Yeah; short, hot-tempered, and annoying to hear in the middle of the night. But, of course, you still have to love him because he certainly keeps things interesting…" The brunette gave Angelface a sideways glance, catching a loving smile on her lips.

"Sure does…"

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"So, for now, we should probably keep half the group here in Zone 1, and the other half taking things back and forth to the diner." Angelface began out loud, even though these were merely thoughts she wasn't thinking about conveying, but they came out anyway.

"Uh-huh…so, obviously Grace and Babygirl stay here." Kobra chipped in.

"What? What the hell? Why me?" The brunette stood up from her chair, looking at the blonde defensively. Kobra Kid gave her a glance, followed by a playful grin.

"This is man's work. The girls should bake a pie or something. Maybe do some ironing…" For this, Kobra Kid received a small brawl that Babygirl began. It started as a wrestling match, but soon turned into a fun-yet-painful boxing match. Until they had to be separated, the pair were laughing and strangely enjoying the scrap.

"Can we do something useful with our time, please?" Angelface gave the two a momentary look of displeasure, causing an awkward silence to rise between the Killjoys. With all of the sudden stares, Angelface cleared her throat and let a blush creep higher on her neck.

"Well, if that's what the group wants, then Babygirl and Grace will stay here with me. But one more person needs to stay here too, you know…" Jet Star pushed Party Poison to the front of the group with an abruptness.

"I vote Party." A sudden chorus of agreement rang through the room.

"Like I said…man's work." Kobra Kid giggled, finding himself to be quite hilarious. Party gave him an icy yet lighthearted glare.

"We gotta protect the goods of the group, right?" Fun Ghoul gave Party a light punch in the shoulder, making his way out of the room to get a head start on the movement of radio equipment. The red head watched as the rest of the male population slowly removed itself from the room.

"So…I'm guessing I don't get a say in this decision?"

"For once, you don't have a say in a decision made by the group, Mr. Dictator," Babygirl lifted Grace up onto her shoulders and carried her out of the room, trailing behind Jet Star and the rest of the gang and leaving Party Poison in hushed wonderment.

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"I just took…a shower. And right now, I think I'm high off of it…is that normal? That's not normal, is it? I think that is the opposite of normal…like, abnormal or whatever…ugh, I feel so non-grimy and clean! I bet if I rub my fingers together, they'll squeak! This is beyond fabulous…" Party Poison chuckled to himself as Babygirl emerged from a steamy bathroom with a towel keeping her hair in a bun upon her head. Small droplets of water decorated her thin white t-shirt at the neckline and a wide grin on her mouth.

"Well…first, I don't think it's normal but what the hell is normal anymore? Secondly, I would love for you to test that theory," The brunette let herself fall into the softness of the couch that Party Poison resided on, placing her fingers together and listening rather closely for their squeaking. Defeat spread across her face when she did not receive the desired sound she was looking for.

"Nope. Damn…that would have made my night…where's Grace?" The red head tilted his head in the direction of the next room.

"Her and Angel are doing some fun and girly activity…I think it involved hair braiding…" At the mention of hair, Babygirl reached up and removed the towel from her hair, letting the wet gatherings of hair fall to her shoulders. The unnatural color streaks had already dried and the rest of her hair was still drenched in moisture.

"I'm quite jealous. I would love to have my hair braided," She mumbled in a soft tone, turning her head to face the older Killjoy.

"I'm afraid that I don't possess such a skill…you're kinda shit out of luck, huh?" Party rolled his head to the left, meeting gray grinning eyes in the process.

"It would seem that we have reached an impasse…" Babygirl whispered contentedly to herself.

"I don't think I've done anything but kill, worry, or sleep in the past month. I think it would be nice to do something other than that for a while…"

"Like what?" Party Poison shrugged without much enthusiasm.

"I dunno…anything."

"…wanna play a game?"

"A game? How old are you, five?" Dejectedly, the brunette turned away from Party Poison, shutting her eyes as if she was concentrating on determining the perfect solution to the problem at hand. After a few silent minutes of thinking, gray eyes shot open and immediately landed upon an old phonograph record player that lay in the shadows of the darkened room. A few vinyls were leaned up against it, nearly begging to be played. Without a word, Babygirl stood up and sauntered over to the device. It was a simple piece of machinery to use; flipping a switch and placing a needle upon the record was how you got it to play. Of course, Party watched her the whole minute and a half that it took her, seeming delighted in a peaceful way.

"This…is just about perfect." Babygirl beamed with gratification at her own work, happy with the satisfactory reviews of her friend.

"I think it's nice…calming, really." The melodious sounds of the Beatles took over the room, no other sounds heard or made for a good while. Both of the Killjoys sat in undisturbed quiet, letting the serene environment give them a chance to relax…

"I know this sounds dumb but…would you care to dance?" In the heat of the moment, all clichés seemed to vanish and dancing just seemed…right. To this, Babygirl grinned and placed her hand in mid-air, allowing for Party to take it gingerly to help her off her seat.

This was a scene to behold. Two people, completely dedicated to anyone but themselves finally giving into something self-seeking. Time never really seemed to exist in the post-apocalyptic world, but right then, it was completely deceased. With his chin resting on her head, and her head laying firmly against his chest, the universe could have certainly gone all to hell without them blinking once. They were deserving of time to themselves, deserving of time to be together and alone for just this once…

"_Something in the way she moves…_

_Attracts me like no other lover. _

_Something in the way she moves me…_

_Don't wanna leave it now, _

_You know I believe in how. _

_Somewhere in her smile…she knows. _

_That I don't need no other lover. _

_Something in her style that shows me…" _

And maybe, just maybe, for a minute or two…everything seemed like it was going to be _okay. _Everything that was completely and utterly wrong and messed up and incomplete wasn't like that anymore. Any feelings of being hurt or left behind or broken seemed to be mended. The carnage was gone, and all that was left was a beautiful hollow feeling of being needed…

Party placed his lips against Babygirl's wet hair and slowly began to whisper…

"You know how I said that this was just about perfect?"

"Uh-huh…" The red-head smiled to himself.

"It's utterly perfect."

"Ha…I'm glad to hear that…I really, really am…" The words were barely coherent as they fell from her lips as she soaked in the warmth from his body close to hers. With a slight movement, she glanced upward into hazel eyes.

"It's reassuring to listen to your heartbeat…" Pushing on her toes, Babygirl kissed the red head with a delicateness that was almost painful for the both of them as the traveling of their feet ceased…

Like the calm before the storm, faultlessness was all that any of them could feel.

And like anything else good in our lives, it didn't last practically as long as it should have…

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And in the distance, a shiny black car came barreling down Route Guano…

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**So…yeah. Sorry. I know. It's not that great…I TRIED! I promise. Just love it, please. For my sake and the world's. **


	7. Save Yourself, I'll Hold Them Back

**A/N: I have officially pwned iTunes. So, what now world? I have the visual aid of music videos on my ipod device now. What are you gonna do? Nothin'. Na Na Na and Sing are my inspiration…*sigghh***

**I thought Bob Bryar was texting me the other day…. Yeah. This we found to be not true. It was Darcie ^^' **

**Anywhoooo…enjoy an action-packed chapter of the ongoing series…**

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_Look Alive, Sunshine_

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Have you ever read a story where the hero always prevails in some way, shape, or form? Where even though they may have faced some hardships, there is a sense of tranquility that comes along with the finishing statement? Where love is to be had, tears are to be shed, and a laugh or two find you in a dark moment of tragic hope? Of course you have, because that is nearly every goddamn book ever written by some optimist who thinks you need to be hidden from the harshness of the world. I refuse to conform to any formula for story telling. This isn't going to be some feel good tale with a moral lesson at the end. This is a story about a group of peoples, brought together by the end of the modern world as we know it. This is an account of Babygirl Biohazard, Killjoy Extraordinaire. Her past, present, and future unfold before you in these words I rattle on. The life she leads does not have a picture perfect ending in any way. But, I suppose you'll learn that soon enough…I reveal to you, the downfall of the Killjoys and their shiny, grand glory.

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"Party…! Babygirl…!" It was the fateful moment when Angelface would casually glance out the grimy windows of the old radio station, expecting to see a dark highway with a pinkish hued Battery City in the background of their lives, off in the distance. Instead, bright headlights came progressing into the general area of Zone 1. She would study these moving rays of light, at first glance giving them no real thought, until she let in settle in her own mind that the Killjoys would NOT be coming out of Battery City for any reason whatsoever. This was when it hit her…

"Jesus Christ, you two, get out here! Better Living, 10 miles to the east! And they're not just going for a casual drive!" The raven-haired woman pushed herself off the ground with ease and swiftness, grabbing onto Grace's hand and pulled her into the next room. The two groups nearly collided into one another as they both raced for the other. Grace raised her head up to the two Killjoys with a look of discomfort.

"What are we gonna do? They're gonna go after Fun and Jet and Kobra and Dr. D!" After many months of living the way of the Killjoys, Grace was already sure of the answer Party would give her. If given the chance, the main objectives of any clap with Better Living had a system:

A) Keep Grace safe.

B) Take out as many Dracs as possible.

C) Kill Korse.

During a clap, you were to be selfless at all costs. Taking out Better Living minions was what needed to be done. Grace knew this, Babygirl knew this, Party knew this, and Angelface knew this. It was with Grace's rhetorical question that the small group of Killjoys kicked it into high gear, quickly and calming gathering their weapons and hit the lights before leaving the building. There was barely enough light outside to even see each other, but they knew they had the element of surprise on their hands. As soon as their feet hit sand, Party was directing everyone into their positions.

"Babygirl, take the right side of the building. Wait until you see me take the first shot, then follow up with a line of fire. Angel, take Grace over with Babygirl and wait in the shadows. Do not, and I mean do NOT let any Dracs see that you have Grace. If you have a free shot, take one out. Just don't give away your position. Gracie, if all else fails, run back behind the building. There's an old Vend-a-Hack. It has all the equipment with it. I won't let it get to that, but…" The red-head's voice trailed off, the very thought of the plan falling through made him nauseous. Grace nodded, buckling the straps of her helmet beneath her chin. Angelface gave him a quick salute, urging the small girl with her to the other side. Babygirl could feel a uneasiness stir in her gut, a lump of terror forming in her throat. She reached back behind her onto her belt where her mask was placed. In silence, she placed the thick plastic across her eyes. Her hand rested delicately on her ray gun holster, it's warmth a comfort to her pounding heart that splintered her ribcage. Slowly, she looked to her left where Party Poison stood. She took in his sight, like that of a comic book superhero who was heading straight into the danger that lay ahead. The wind picked up, blowing back her hair and his familiar scent.

"I don't know if we'll leave this place alive…" He muttered in a low tone, giving her an anxious stare. He watched as her gray orbs found his through her masquerade visor, a shakiness about them that he noticed instantly. She replied with the only smile she could muster up.

"I'm not going to give up. Not now. Not ever. Not even when they have dusted and dead. I'm still gonna take 'em out, one by one. And I know you will too. We're not gonna let them get anywhere near Zone 6, by any means. I promise…" A fragile gloved hand reached out and took Party's comfortingly, each finger memorizing the others. Hazel eyes searched over Babygirl's face, not quite sure what they were looking for. He tried his damnedest to keep an even expression, not letting all his anxiety show, but sometimes the hardest thing to do was try and be strong for everyone else around you.

"You always have found a way to fix everything…haven't you?" Babygirl let her smile fade, suddenly noticing that her mask was too tight and her holster was uneven and Party's hair was too red and her heart and her head were too heavy for her tiny little body. With a tenderness that she showed to no one else, she quickly reached up and wrapped her arms around his shoulders and neck. The toes of her boots were pressing deep into the sand as she stood on them to stay at his height, catching the Killjoy off guard by the slightest. The embrace was tight as Babygirl continued to press her whole upper body against Party Poison. It took a moment before Party could react, the sensation of her warmth giving him a jolt as he gingerly pulled the rest of her body into him. She was almost scared of how close she was to him, every part of her making contact with every square inch of him. Before she could get herself too worked up, the brunette placed her face into the crook of his neck and closed her eyes shut. The two lingered in the moment, almost forgetting why they needed the closeness in the first place. Babygirl pulled away, still leaving her arms in their rightful place.

"Don't die."

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"Hey, Fun, I know you have this whole 'adrenaline junkie' thing going on, but could you slow down in the slightest? Don't get me wrong, I'd love for you to hit the breaks for some ungodly reason so that I can fly head-first into the windshield and become decapitated…" Jet Star crossed her arms over his chest, his whole body being crushed by a large amount of wires, radio systems, and a sleeping Dr. Death. Fun Ghoul gave the rearview mirror a glance before answering.

"If you don't behave yourself, I will pull this car over and we will NOT stop for ice cream on the way back," To this, Jet Star gave the younger Killjoy the finger, watching as Fun Ghoul giggled to himself. Kobra rested quietly in the passenger seat, mindlessly starring into the side view mirror as if it was a television screen. Of course, he only did this from months of pent up paranoia…

"How we doin', Kobra?" The blonde shrugged.

"I haven't seen anything but dirt for at least 8 mil-" From the corner of his eye, a few flashes of light in the obscurity behind them made him stop. The flashes stopped momentarily, then continued at twice the rate. He knew that these lights were coming from Zone 1...

"Fun, stop!" Kobra Kid reached over out in instinct and began pulling on the wheel hysterically. Fun Ghoul cried out, tightening his grip and spun the wheel a near 360 degrees. The whole vehicle spun in a half circle, now facing the first zone and Battery City. Somehow, the radio DJ stayed fully asleep through all of it.

"Jesus fucking Christ, Kobra! What the hell was that?"

"Look! Why would anyone be firing off rounds right now? We have to go back!" Fun Ghoul's heart sunk into his stomach, slowly disintegrating in the acid. He choked on the air he was breathing, a sudden panic taking over him.

"What if…what if it's not just Dracs…?" Jet Star murmured, looking at Kobra who was at near heart attack levels. Fun Ghoul reached down, putting the Trans Am into gear and forced his foot down onto the gas pedal. A silence overtook the car, tension was all the atmosphere was made up of anymore…and all that the group could imagine was their comrades face down in the sand, ghosted and gone…and Grace taken into the hands of Better Living.

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The whole showdown was a long, colorful blur in the shadows. Party had fired the first blast, hitting the tinted window of the black car. The shattering of glass was the signal for Babygirl to begin firing her own rounds. Tires cried out against asphalt, the car pulling to a complete stop. Four Dracs swiftly exited the car, ray guns out and ready. Party was completely open to their fire, barely missing any of the shots taken. Babygirl tried her hand at accuracy, taking one out in 3 seconds flat. She cherished the sound of the masked man's groans as he feel lifelessly to the ground. This, sadly, brought the vampire goons attention to her. A sudden and numerous attack was made on her, but with a large amount of luck, Babygirl was able to become hidden against the wall, behind the building. Her eyes flashed to Angelface and Grace, both of whom were crouched down in the sand. Grace's hand were cupped over her ears to block out the sounds of the battlefield, Angelface pressing the girl close to her to keep her as safe as she could.

"Go to the back door and get inside, they know where I am! Hurry!" Babygirl barked, urging the two into the desolate building. As soon as she heard the metal door close shut, she turned to face a black-and-white mask and a gun aimed directly at her brain. She fired a random shot into his gut, a satisfying sizzle noise emitted from where the ray had hit him. He crumpled to the floor, _dead. _

Uncloaked by the dark any longer, Babygirl threw herself into the open and took as many shots as she could towards the group of goons. Her eyes caught the sight of Korse, standing safely by the shiny black car that matched the soul inside of him. His smile curled upon his face, a terrifying and evil look of victory upon his face. The brunette took a hit to her face in the time that she took to notice the man, a cut-and-burn combination adorning her cheek. It stung more than any of hit she had taken before, a deep searing pain making her stumble backward.

"Babygirl, go! Run!" Party called to her, taking out a Drac as he did so. Two still stood, one heavily guarding Korse and the other taking fire at Party. The red head looked over to her just as soon as she had completely fallen to the dirt. Quickly, she pushed herself up off the ground, only to have a white clad Drac throw a hit to his nose. A thick crack was followed by a howling scream as blood hit the sand with speed. Her body feel again with a dull thud. Party took his revenge as a laser beam frying the brain of the damned Drac that had broken Babygirl's nose. The red head turned on his heel and took out the last of the masked men that had stood before Korse. Party lowered his smoking barrel, watching as Korse chuckled with delight.

"Well, well, well…wasn't that a sight to see? I suppose I've had my fun toying with you miserable rats…" Korse took an even step forward, Party's gun a flash of yellow as he pointed it to Korse's heart. The bald man lifted his arms mockingly.

"Now, now, Poison, I don't intend to harm you any further. You are a valuable asset. It's your group of useless wannabe misfit heroes that I'm here to exterminate…"

"Fuck that. I don't want any part of your filthy company." Party spat, stepping forward with the barrel of his gun to Korse's solar plexus. The bald man frowned at this answer.

"Well, if you're not going to cooperate…" With a rapidness that Babygirl had never seen, Korse reached over the gun and took grip of Party's arm. His hazel eyes flew open as another hand took grip of said arm, fully snapping it in two. Party screeched as the older man threw his body down, landing on his knees with his limp arm dangling painfully at his side. A white ray gun was removed from Korse's holster and put to Party's back…

"PARTY!" The young Killjoy screamed as she watched the scene unfold with horror drenched cries that weren't going to save anyone's life, no matter how many she made. She felt her whole body become uncharacteristically numb and useless. She could taste the bitterness of death and the metallic taste of blood…if this is what dying was like, she was beyond afraid…

Angelface's single shot had the white ray gun flying through the air and all the way to Route Guano as it skid and scattered across the road. Korse yelped as the beam had stung his hand and a look of rage overcame him. He scooped up Party's discarded gun and fired 3 shots at Angel, all direct hits. She collapsed immediately, blood slowly seeping through the wound on her side. Grace peered out from the window, tears cascading down her face at the sight of the ones she loved dying on the ground. Korse would have splattered their brains in the sand if a beaten, rusted, nearly destroyed-all-to-hell Trans Am hadn't come progressing at high speed into the area. He scowled at the oncoming vehicle and hurried into his own, making his mad dash away from the scene of the crime.

Babygirl lifted her weak and feeble body off the ground, reeling from the size of her own pool of blood that rested beneath her jacket. Tears threatened at the corners of her eyes as she crawled helplessly towards Party Poison's unconscious form. Shock forced her to repeat his name over and over again to herself, hands searching for a pulse or sign of life. She touched the broken limb, jerking her hand back the second she did in fear of causing him any more pain. Out of exhaustion, fear, and pain, the Killjoy let herself begin to bawl into his jacket, each inhale of breath making her whole body rise and fall. It hurt so much just to move any part of her body, but if she couldn't cry, she knew she would have probably succumb to her wounds and fallen into the blackness of her head.

Grace bolted out of hiding, screaming and hollering and crying the whole way. She fell at Angel's side, looking at the discarded body with remorse. The roar of the wasted engine came to a stop in the ditch, every Killjoy setting foot on the ground and making their way to the devastation that lay ahead…

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**Well? Did you like it? Was it classy enough? Frank told me it was…so…yeah. Just review, you lovely Killjoy fools! Thank you so much for reading! **


	8. Sleep

**A/N: ATTENTION: I am needy. So review, please, kthxbye. It's vital for me to continue living. I really, REALLY, really wanna get up in the 40's soon and all those who have been reviewing, THANK YOU SO MUCH! I love the feedback, the comments, the concerns, the crazy things, the suggestions, all of it. Promise. So, I really hope that continues and that you guys are now aware that I have enabled my private messaging so that I'm no longer a loser. **

**Anyone else seen Frank's hair? Yeah, I know you haven't, because it's GONE! **

**I'm going to just experiment with first person P.O.V for a little bit. I want you in her head for a while. **

**But anywho…let's get back to what you really care about, since my blabbering isn't part of it…**

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_Look Alive, Sunshine_

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Head swelling with anger. Heart pounding relentlessly. Sound numb from the noise. I can't feel my hand anymore…burning in my gut. It's growing. It's like a disease that's swarming my veins, toxins clogging up my blood that finds the sand without a care. What if he's dead…? What if she's dead, too? What if he takes them next…? I can't breathe properly. Someone's trying to hold me…I don't feel warmth. I feel the embrace, but nothing of substance to go with it. Everything is mute. Someone's crying; screaming. It's Fun Ghoul. I can see him from the corner of my vision. He's actually tearing out his hair…where's Jet Star? Oh…he's holding me. I'm so completely exhausted…Kobra. He's kneeling in front of me. He looks so much older when he's worried. He's running his hand through my hair. I'm too lost to find reality again. I know I exist, but I can't feel it anymore. My brain is just aching and yelling and I don't wanna even be awake anymore. Kobra leaves me for a minute. He walks over to Party and chokes up. I think there's a lot of blood…is that why he won't pick Party up? I can hear Fun Ghoul throwing a fit. He's so mad…I've never heard him scream like that before.

"We're gonna get you home, Baby, I promise…" Jet Star is still holding me, arms suffocating me. He's shaking even more than I am, but I'm losing more blood than he is. I'm bleeding onto his shirt…I don't like that. I try to apologize for it, but all I feel is a wired-shut jaw being forced to open, then shut immediately. I choke out words that don't even sound like words. He doesn't seem to notice them.

Fun Ghoul is hugging Grace, letting her cry into his jacket before he lets her go to lift the beautiful girl, lying unconscious in the sand, up into his arms. She's completely limp; I want to stop breathing. It's all my fault…it settles in like a weighted object when it falls to the bottle of the sea. I am the reason that the people I love are all fatally wounded.

Kobra looks at Jet Star and begins to maneuver Party Poison onto his shoulders. He takes into consideration the fact that Party's arm is shattered, so he leaves that arm dangling to keep from fracturing any of bones further. I am being moved. Jet Star is lifting me up onto my feet, coaxing me to walk. Where am I walking? I want to ask him that dearly. He takes my hand and lifts my arm onto his shoulder so he can pull me along. I can see Dr. D looking at the scene with a horrified expression. When Fun Ghoul brings Angelface over to him, Dr. D looks absolutely torn. I want to cry too, but I have a feeling that I'm dehydrated from the inside out.

Show Pony showed up with a suddenness that hurt my shocked psyche. How had he gotten from Battery City to Zone 1 so quickly…? Maybe I had lost my sense of time back there somewhere in the battle…

He is apologizing over and over, bringing us into the van. He says something about how he knew he should have just let us use the van days ago so this wouldn't have happened, but I forget about that soon enough. Jet Star keeps removing blood from underneath my nose. He keeps cursing every time he does it. I don't like it very much. My head isn't thinking it, but I am calling out Party's name over and over. I'm whispering it. Jet Star isn't stopping me this time. He just lets me drive myself insane…

Every bump in the road is another jab in my heart, stinging because I deserve it.

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"How's it feeling?" I couldn't think of any way to reply to that. In all honesty, it was a vague question. How was _what_ feeling? My shattered nose? My wounded mental state? My battered body? Of course, the perfect way to sum it all up was: shitty.

"Horrible." Jet sighed and ran his hand through his hair. His back was pressed against the wall and his whole body looked thoroughly weary.

"Yeah…I thought so…," I pressed my thumbs together, trying not to look at him for too long. I knew that if I had to see him look at me with that brotherly loving look again, I was going to go into cardiac arrest.

"I know you're having a hard time…coping. With all of it. With everything that happened today. But…" Here it came like an unstoppable force, meeting this pissed off and unmovable object: don't blame yourself. I was prepared for the speech the moment I learned that Jet Star could read my thoughts. He could look me over once and know every little thought that slipped and slithered through my head. It was hard to be emotionless and cold when he was digging through my wall like that…couldn't he just let me be psychologically wrecked for the rest of my life? I felt my heart twinge when I did give in and look up at him.

"You know I can't help it…"

"But you _can _help it. You didn't do anything wrong…you were just outnumbered and unprepared. Korse knew that. He had an advantage." My body numbed up again, more cold this time than before.

"I still could have stopped Korse. I could have done it, Jet! Instead, I watched from the ground and pitied myself because I had a wimpy little broken nose…I was pathetic…" Blood speckled my discarded mask that lay at my feet. I distracted myself with it for a moment, ignoring the disapproving looks I was receiving. Jet Star took it upon himself to keep my company for an hour or two, coming over to where I sat in the corner of the room and just sat there with me for a while. It wasn't much, be it certainly made me feel like less of a waste of space.

"Kobra's gonna have my head if you don't eat something soon…" Jet mumbled. Even at the mention of food, I could feel my stomach churn (or what was left of it). I knew that if I was going to make Jet feel any less worried about me, I best eat something to keep his mind off of all of the catastrophe that was called Life. He helped me onto my feet which I did with the gracefulness of a giraffe on ice. Time was different now, that I was assured, since it felt like it took hours just to reach the kitchen on foot. It wasn't that important to get there in any sort of time period, since all that was waiting for me was canned, wet, Better Living dog food.

It didn't surprise me that Kobra was standing in the make-shift kitchen, anxious and bug eyed as ever. He stood with Fun Ghoul who was in a near-catatonic state. Small chunks of hair were missing from his head…

"'Finally gonna eat, huh?" Kobra looked up from the counter. I shrugged.

"I suppose…" Jet Star set me on said counter, making his way to the cabinets to retrieve a disgusting can of food.

"Where's Grace?" I watched as Kobra tried to ignore the images of the small girl screaming from earlier in the day.

"She's finally asleep. She wanted to see you and Angel before she did, though…I told her that she could tomorrow." I nodded woozily, a lightness in my head starting to drown me from behind upright for so long.

"How is…how is Angel doing?"

"She's breathing normally, now. Her heartbeats regular…but…" Fun Ghoul picked at a dried piece of blood on his hand, his face contorting, "…she's been puking up blood…" I closed my eyes, feeling nausea poke at my stomach for a moment or two. I hated my imagination and all that it could render…

"I'm sorry." I murmured, suddenly feeling the cool sensation of a can being slipped into my fingers. Fun shrugged, touching the small hairless spot upon his head as if to remember how much pain he was in. To break the new silence, I slammed the lid of the can down onto the hard surface beneath me, taking pleasure in the sound of the metal squealing as it popped off. Globs of dog food hit the floor, but I shrugged that off and dug my fingers into the concoction. I would ignore the fact that every lick of food in the can made my mouth get dry and made my stomach do acrobatics. I would do this for everyone's sake that stood in that room, just wanting me to not black out from lack of food. As I did this sickening task, I caught a glimpse of a shiny bottle from the corner of my eyes. It was hidden beneath the rusted old sink, in the cabinets that only held rats and rat poison. I looked down to the empty can in my hands and up to the blonde Killjoy in front of me.

"…can I see Party…?"

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There were only two beds in the entire building. When I had first come to the diner with the group a month ago, I was offered to have one of those beds permanently. I refused at first, arguing that I could sleep on a bed of rusted nails, get tetanus, and still get a good night's sleep, but Jet Star insisted. Grace and I shared that bed nearly every night, sometimes receiving nighttime visits from a restless Fun Ghoul or an anxiety-ridden Kobra Kid.

The other bed was a rotation, Party having it one night to have Jet use it the next, then Kobra, then Fun, and the cycle would continue. Since Party had bruised and broken ribs and a split arm, he was to have the bed for at least three nights (as ordered by the whole group).

Dazzling red hairs were strewn all across Party Poison's face as he slept, looking rather adorable in the darkness of the room. His mask was on the floor next to the bed, a crack visible on the thick plastic. There was a improvised sling wrapped around his shoulder and arm and a large bandage wound tightly around his abdominals. I had never really seen Party look so vulnerable, the very sight made me shudder. I felt it was probably best to leave, knowing that he never really got to sleep anyway…

"Visiting hours aren't over yet…" The cliché was complete when I saw him lift his head and give me that genuine half-smile just as I was leaving the room. I rolled my eyes, swiveling on my heel to meet semi-open hazel eyes. He was already trying to sit upright, which I was eager to stop as soon as I saw a hint of pain appear on his face. He was reluctant, but he still sat back in his earlier position.

"So, what don't you get about broken bones, exactly? Sit your ass down." The red-head rolled his eyes and ran his fingers through the loose hairs.

"I'm perfectly capable of standing and walking."

"Yes, but are you capable of doing something moronic and doing even more damage."

"Am not. You just wanna play doctor on me…" A small grin tugged at his lips. I narrowed my eyes and poked at his bandages, causing him to yelp.

"Damn it, don't do that!"

"Still wanna try that whole 'walking' thing?" Party bit the inside of his mouth and nearly groaned.

"No, I suppose not. So, other than to torture me, what brings you here on this lovely midnight?" Slowly, his fingers curled into mine for some kind of emotional support, I assumed. I could tell he was drained by the way his eyelids dared to close over his eyes at any moment, but there was just something I had to know…

"Party…when I told you that I finally remembered…there was another time, wasn't there?" That tiredness suddenly lifted as hazel eyes became wide. Party took his hand out of mine, that warm feeling of calluses and blood flow gone. He turned his head away from me.

"…you were the only good thing that had happened to me in 15 years. I had one person that I could even remotely assort you with and that was my brother, Michael. After I met you…" Party shook his head and smiled grimly, "…I couldn't stop thinking about you. It was…it was terribly confusing. I knew that it was because you had stopped me from putting a bullet in my head, but…but I just had to see you again. One last time. I had to thank you again and again for helping me out. And…I found you." A new, beautiful smile found his eyes this time, and I was completely lost for words.

"Believe it or not, but you were an amateur boxer. God, I thought that was probably the astounding thing I ever found in a person. And damn, you were good…you had this huge local fight, something 'Golden'-"

"Golden Gloves." My heart was overwhelmed with this new memory, my head throbbing. I could remember the smell of sweat in the big stadium. I could remember fear and adrenaline, cockiness and courage.

"Yeah, that's what it was…when I saw the advertisements, and they said your name, and then your picture…I almost lost it," Party laughed quietly, "I told Michael that I just had to go to that fight. I told him that I had to see you. He wanted to come and meet you. I was so thrilled…we were late, though. Only by a minute or two. We got in just as they announced your weight and your class and all that jazz. God, I knew who your mother was in a second. She stood up right on her tip-toes and started hollering like she was at a Van Halen concert or something…we took the seats behind your mother and who I assumed was your father. You looked exactly like your mother, only with your father's nose. She had these perfectly gray-blue eyes that had so much adoration for you. Your father had worry lines as definite as the Mexican border on his face. When that bell rung, all four of us were tense as we watched you move to the center. Goddamn, you were fast…you threw the first shot, a perfect right hook. You had that other girl staggering…" My body was ice. Pure, cool ice. I felt nothing. I remembered every bit of that fight…when she hit my mouthpiece and it made my gums bleed, so I hit her with three jabs and a right hook to the gut. When I had her against the ropes, throwing several combinations until the bell rung. I remember my mom screaming at the top of her lungs, sheer happiness the overtone of her voice…it hurt to have it all come back like this…

"I felt so weird, leaning forward and trying to seem casual… 'Is one of those girls your daughter?' Your mother looked so proud, it scared me. She went on and on about how well you were doing in training and how she just knew that you would be a professional fighter…I just smiled for a while and agreed with her. I told her how she must be proud and that you were truly phenomenal. Of course…that was when the trouble started," Party finally turned back to face me, and this time I couldn't breathe. I was choking on air that I couldn't even let inside of my lungs. He looked so much older…. "She asked me if I was a friend of yours. A friend! What was I gonna do? Lie to your fuckin' mom? I looked back at Michael and he…he gave me this look. I dunno, he does that sometimes…like he's the older one. He's better at all that older brother stuff, too…giving you those brotherly looks, taking care of you when your sick, being worried all the goddamn time…" He stopped, taking a breath and closing his eyes before letting out that breath in a shaky manner, "…I couldn't tell her. I couldn't…I ran. I told Michael we had to leave. I can't even remember what your mother's face looked like when I got up. I just knew she must have be baffled…maybe even scared. I felt absolutely disgusting as soon as I left the building. 'What were you thinking? You're just some dirty fuck who she barely knew…why would this be significant to her? Why is this significant to you, even?' I felt like ripping my throat out…but…at least you won. I found out the next morning. You were on the news…you had made it into the national ranks. I was so proud and heart broken…you changed my life, Alex. You changed everything about it…you changed me." Party's voice was now a hushed whisper that made my stomach fall into my feet. Everything about that moment made me sick; the vulnerability, the flood of memories, the sudden need to start crying…I wasn't equipped to handle any of it.

I leaned down from the side of the bed and held his cheek in my hand, gently pressing his lips to mine. I felt his whole body start to relax and his free hand found my cheek. '_I ruined your life once…I won't do it again.' As I pulled away, he began to notice the tears in my eyes, and so I ran. _

_I ran for the kitchen. I ran for the bottle of Scotch underneath the sink. I ran for the back room and took with me Party's mascot head. I ran out into the night with only a bottle of liquor, a mascot head, and my gun. I walked along Route Guano, unafraid of Dracs or Korse coming to get me. I drank until my throat burned like a gasoline fire. _

_I ran. _

_I ran because I knew that I wasn't going to sleep that night. _

_I ran because I was the biggest mistake of the Earth. _

_I ran because…_


	9. Cancer

**A/N: 40 reviews! Mucho love! MUCHO! So, I decided that I was gonna be nice and start writing the next chapter…I'm pretty sure this one's also gonna be a downer. Sorry. **

**But, hey, for those of you who didn't WANT Party to die, but you DID want Party to die, here's a little ficlet for you! This one was a present for me from my girlfriend (legit, yal. LEGIT.) In this, you'll see what would have happened if Party would have died (more of, the effect it had on the group.) Go to my profile and click on the link! I promise, you won't be disappointed! **

**As RuPaul has one told me… "You must lip-synch…for your LIFE." In this case, it's READ THE DAMN FIC. XD **

**SUGGESTED SONG FOR THIS CHAPTER: FIX YOU BY COLDPLAY. Even if you don't like them, please give it a try. It was heavily influenced by this song. **

**Enough of my flibbly-flabber. On with the story! **

.

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_Look Alive, Sunshine_

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.

You learn something about yourself as you amble around the desert, drunk and hysteric…not something useful or meaningful, or hell, even remotely relative to most situations. You learn it while almost breaking both ankles in the warming dawn sand, while your humming the last song you can remember Dr. D putting on and you sound like a dying vulture, while you nearly sweat all the unnatural coloring out of your hair because Party's mascot head doesn't have insulation…

"Some peeeopllee say that there's a wwooommmaaannn to blllaaammmmeeee…butiknowit's my owwnn dammnn faulltt…"

You learn that you really loved pickles when they were still around for enjoying…

.

The desert, contrary to popular belief, is pretty much a bleak and mind numbingly colorless place. Of course, I was deserving of wandering through such a hell-like place…I had been a force of nature, only created to destroy the lives of those who don't deserve it. I went through those motions with myself all day long, even when the bottle was empty and I still wasn't sober enough to remember what my own face looked like. There weren't any Dracs or lively claps to brighten my depression, only sand that went on for miles. Contrary to popular belief, the desert _sucks. _

I had known for a few days now what had happened to me. I tried to deny it when I saw it, when I studied it in the mirror for hours…but the liquor could only cool the pain that it was causing me. I still knew it was there, haunting me. Taunting me. It was breaking me down, eating me alive inside. I guess that's part of the reason I ran away, really…I wouldn't want to be the burden anymore than I had already been.

As I took a pit stop for a little puking up of my own blood, a grin curled onto my face with undoubted melancholy…what would they tell Angel and Grace? What would they say when they found my body laying on the asphalt, my insides decorating the whole area in their serene red color? When vultures would swarm the left-overs of what used to be me? Maybe they would let Angel know the truth…she deserved to know the truth. But Grace…?

I puked again, but this time, it wasn't because of the sickness I had.

.

.

Crying. Crying until you're heaving for air. Your whole body is lacking air. You wish you knew the exact reason why; wish you could pinpoint the breaking point. But you sit in the sand, a bottle in one hand and a oversized blue mascot head in the other, and you bawl like a three-year-old. You wish you weren't this loud, this obnoxious, this childish, but you're so hurt and so raw and so scared and so you just try to let it out. The air around you is cooler than that of your own tears and your throat begins to close up. This is the only way to feel remotely better. This is the only way…

You want to tell him. Tell him everything. How the best thing about your morning is seeing a mop of red head waltzing around the diner. How the smell of his leather jacket is the most comforting thing you've ever known. How it means the world to you when you're sitting in the passenger seat of the Trans Am for the first time and he grabs your hand in the midst of the noisy car. How after only a week of knowing he existed, you were sure…so very sure what you felt wasn't just something simple. How every time he's saved your life has been another time you've fallen. You sound so sappy and sad and hurt but it's the only thing that's keeping you sane.

_When you saved me for the first time, and I jumped to my feet to hold you…and you squeezed me back. _

_When we spent our first moments alone together, and all you could do was cough and fidget with your hair. _

_When the Trans Am ran out of gas, we waited for Show Pony by getting so drunk that we started ballroom dancing._

_When you fell asleep with Grace in your lap and your head on my shoulder. _

_When I learned about your night terrors…and how I felt so useless when I knew I couldn't help. _

_When you had only known me for 96 hours and were already kissing me outside of the diner. _

"Oh, Party…you've ruined me."

.

.

"Damn it, I'm not going to sit around when she's out there, roaming around like this! You can either stay or go, but I'm definitely not staying here," With his good arm, Party Poison threw the driver door open forcefully, fumbling with the keys in his pockets. The best way to wake up was not to have Kobra Kid frantically searching your room for the missing brunette that you know and love. _Love…_

"You don't even have your gun with you! Are you stupid?" The blonde tugged desperately on the handle of the door, rapping his knuckles on the window. Angrily, Party rolled down the thick window of glass that separated the two.

"I don't care. Actually, I could care _less _than what I do now. If it was you, or Fun, or Jet, I would do the same fucking thing. I'm going to find her." The impulsive look in the golden-green eyes that belonged to Party Poison made Kobra's stomach nearly flip. He was inconsolable…

"You're not going alone. Just…" Kobra Kid sighed inwardly and ran his fingers through his hair, "…just let me go get Jet. Or Fun. Either one. We're going to go and get her back," He threw a sideways, encouraging grin to the older Killjoy, sprinting back towards the diner at full speed, calling out names that were only blurbs of sound to Party. He wasn't going to let anyone see how terrified he was, or how unbelievably fast his heart was pounding. Not even when…_if _he found her.

.

.

And as quickly as night had become day, the cycle had begun all over again. The stars began to poke their heads into the dark veil of night, the desert moon quietly slipping upwards into the sky. I laid flat on my back for the whole transition, afraid that if I stood, the pain would come rolling back in. The burn was so deep, I could have sworn I could feel it in my marrow…and with my luck, all of my liquor was gone. No more drunkenness to keep my head swimming away from what was real. I wasn't completely sober, mind you, but enough to be hyper aware of everything around me. The blue head of dehydration was at arm's length away, always in my reach. I wouldn't think it fair to lose it, seeing as how I had stolen it from Party. The least I could do was keep it in good shape…

Dumbly, I felt compelled to stand. As a punishment for wishful thinking, an everlasting streak of pain had me ready to crumble. I cried out, the stabbing in my stomach unstoppable. Ithurtithurtithurt. It burned like a gasoline fire. God, who had that much gasoline to pour down my stomach…? That's just a huge waste of a nonrenewable resource…I could have sworn that someone was purposefully lighting my stomach on fire. Maybe, if I opened my mouth and breathed out hard enough, I could be like a dragon and the fire would go. away. I tried as hard as I could, but I just wasn't that lucky. The fire continued to burn on forever in my gut, making my insides into charcoal. I clutched my abdomen, screaming into the night air.

"I wanna go back…I wanna go back to the diner…this hurts, I miss you Party…I want Jet Star to make it better! I want Fun Ghoul to make me laugh and for Angelface to tell me to suck it up, but not in a mean way, and for Kobra Kid to act like he's my dad and hold my hand because I'm in pain and he knows and he wants to make it better, and for Party Poison to hold me because it HURTS SO MUCH! GOD, WHY!" Even as I wished this, I knew that was the worst thing I could do was go back. I wasn't going to ruin their lives even more. But I had to say it all aloud…therapeutic, I guess.

"I love you so much, Party…I know it's dumb and stupid and moronic because I've only known you for a month, and we live in a fucked-up world, and it could never work, but I love you so much…" My head swelled up with my own words for a moment, and I laughed at how stupid I sounded. I laughed until I cried-well, it wasn't really cry since I had no tears left to cry-more like, dry heaving and hitting myself.

So…even though I wasn't sober, and I was in as much pain as a pregnant woman who was giving birth and being stabbed multiple times simultaneously, I started walking. I didn't walk forwards, towards Battery City, or backwards, towards the diner and Zone 6, but I walked sideways. I walked deeper into whatever Zone I was in, and made sure that every time I saw a blackbird go past, I would hold my breath…for good luck.

It was all I had.

And after about 5 minutes of walking (stumbling), I remembered…

I never picked up Party's mascot head.

.

.

_And the tears come streaming down your face, _

_When you lose something you can't replace, _

_When you love someone, but it goes two ways…_

_Could it be worse? _

.

.

The car had never been that tense. Ever. Party had nearly sweat off any weight he had left, while Kobra and Fun kept their eyes peeled for any signs of life. Party ran through all the possible scenarios in his head, ones where Babygirl had been caught and viciously murdered by Better Living goons, ones where Babygirl had passed out from exhaustion and had her skin picked off by hungry vultures, ones where another group of renegade Killjoys had picked her up and she had found a better, stronger, more-attractive-

"God, oh God, oh, GOD, oh my GOD. Where are you…?"

"Oh, lord, he's finally losing it…" Fun Ghoul looked up at the rearview mirror, assessing the frantic look on Party Poison's face. The red-head had a white knuckle grip on the wheel, eyes as big as porcelain plates, skin as pale as…okay, seriously, this kid was going out of his head. You get the picture.

"It's okay. Shhh, hey, Party, chill out, it's o.k. She's out here, somewhere…she's gotta be-" But Kobra Kid was promptly interrupted.

"No. No. She's dead. I can feel it. She's fucking dead and it's all my fault. I could have stopped her last night…I mean, I knew she was hurt or something, but I didn't know she was gonna run away…" Kobra watched as the man in the driver's seat slowly began to have a mental breakdown. He was lost for words…I mean, what could he have said to make anything feel better? It was possible that Babygirl had been dead for hours, now…but he wasn't even going to _think_ about that.

"Holy shit, stop the car! Now, damn it! It's you head!" The group couldn't lie; that was one of the weirdest things they had ever heard the other one say. Immediately, Party slammed down on the worn-out breaks, the car swirling.

"It's your head and a bottle! And footprints! Hot damn, they have to be recent, the way the wind blows out here! Woo, baby, she's alive!" Fun Ghoul jumped out of the seat and onto the asphalt, Kobra and Party trailing behind obediently. The fluctuation in Party's heart had reached an all time high, and there was no stopping his adrenaline high…

She was alive.

And he was gonna find her.

.

.

"I've got, birds in my deers and a double on my shoulder and a foam to the other and I can't get a mold of her and what's a crush to dooooo? What a crush to doooo when he can't get through? Oh…wait…shit, those aren't right. It's…umm…bird in my ears and a double…ahh, never mind…" At one point, I had come to grips with the fact that:

A) This had been a horrid idea. Absolutely, perfect horrid.

B) I couldn't sing to save my life. Haha. That fits so well with the next one…

C) I was going to die in the desert, alone and desperate. And that was that.

If I hadn't come to that revelation, I would have gone insane. Positively mad as a hatter. I followed the light of the moon, going nowhere and fast. I had finally gained enough water from the earlier drinking to let tears fall. I was dying slowly but surely, and I wasn't the least bit sad about it. I mean, not me dying. Not my own downfall. No, sir, that was the least of the depression.

God, what would Grace think? She would think I was a failure. I had given up on life and she would hate me for it.

Who would Jet Star talk to late at night, out on the roof?

How would Angelface ever let out her frustrations about Fun Ghoul if I was dead?

Who would Kobra Kid play Dad to now…? Well, okay, he still had Grace and Angel, but…never mind. You get the picture.

Last of all…who would Party have to always be saving or hold their hand in the Trans Am…? I guess he could do that with Fun Ghoul…maybe.

Giving up never seemed easier than it did at that very second.

And I did.

…

…

…

Death was not very virulent. I guess I just assumed it would be.

"Babygirl! Babygirl! BABY! OVER HERE!" Well, hello to you too, Death. You're more friendly than I had imagined…I also thought you would be voiced by Patrick Warburton. But, whatever…

"Oh my God…Babygirl, oh my God…don't ever, ever do that to me again…please…" And suddenly, I'm warm. I'm warm all over. Someone has me in their arms, someone is holding me close to them. They're wearing a leather jacket…and lord, does it smell heavenly. (No pun…oh, fine, it was intended). I've never felt this…special. Loved. This warm. I can feel heavy breath on my hair, a whole crowd around me. I can feel the rapid beating of someone's heart. God, I feel so alive.

"Babygirl…" Maybe, for a second, I thought that was God's voice. But then again, God couldn't possibly have the same beautiful voice as my own Party Poison.

I tilted my head backward, reaching my hand up towards his stubbly face and smiled.

"Hey, sweet cheeks. What's shakin'?"

_Lights will guide you home…_

_And ignite your bones…_

_And I will try…_

Someone loosened my grip on my stomach. Someone lifted up the hem of my shirt. Someone gasped loudly, nearly sucking all of the air out of the atmosphere. Party stopped looking at me with those gorgeous eyes…and they suddenly seemed dead when they saw my dirty little secret. I bit my lip as hard as I could…

"Party…" Jet Star spoke quietly, "…it's a tumor. She has cancer."

…_to fix you. _


End file.
